Field Notes

Study Assesses Checklist for Feeding in Preterm Infants

The Early Feeding Skills (EFS) checklist provides a user-friendly tool for assessing and monitoring feeding skills in premature infants and other infants at risk of feeding problems—and for guiding interventions to promote the skills needed to feed successfully, according to new research led by Suzanne Thoyre, PhD, RN, FAAN, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing.

The EFS is a 22-item checklist developed to assess oral feeding skills in infants feeding by breast or bottle. In the study, registered nurses, speech-language pathologists, and occupational therapists used the EFS to evaluate the feeding skills of 142 infants at children’s hospitals in three states. Three-fourths of the infants were born prematurely; some were full-term infants who had undergone heart surgery.

Using a method called factor analysis, the researchers identified a set of five subscales measured by the EFS: respiratory regulation, or the ability to coordinate breathing and sucking; the ability to organize oral-motor function; swallowing coordination; staying engaged with feeding; and remaining physiologically stable during feeding. Together, these factors explained about 58% of the variation in the EFS score; the single strongest factor was respiratory regulation.

Comparison with other assessments established that the EFS is valid and reliable. Premature infants with later gestational ages had higher total EFS scores and higher scores on the respiratory regulation and physiologic stability subscales.

“For preterm infants and those with medical complexities, early feeding skills are [emerging] while receiving neonatal care,” according to Thoyre and coauthors. “Selecting appropriate and supportive interventions begins with thorough assessment of the infant’s skills.”

Previous assessments have focused on the volume of feeding or individual skills, but this overlooks the complex interplay of skills needed for effective feeding. Although the EFS has been in use for more than a decade, the new study is the first formal evaluation of its psychometric properties.

“The EFS provides a reliable and valid way to systematically observe and record the maturation of [infants’] feeding skills and guides the selection of interventions to optimally support their skill trajectory,” Thoyre and colleagues conclude. They suggest that further studies using the EFS could add to understanding of neonatal feeding skill development.

— Source: Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins

 

Education Aids Proper Use of Supplements in Young Adults

Young adults who are educated about dietary supplements in college are more likely to use them appropriately, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York.

Binghamton researchers conducted an anonymous online survey of college students comparing those enrolled in the Health and Wellness Studies minor at Binghamton University with those not enrolled in the minor. The survey included questions on perception of dietary supplements, use, and knowledge. The survey’s main purpose was to investigate whether an education on dietary supplements is effective among college students. Young adults are a target for certain dietary supplements through several social media platforms, and they’re more likely to be influenced by such advertisements. Many studies on dietary supplement use suggested an education at the college level is needed, but no follow-up studies were performed.

Analyzing the data, the researchers concluded that college students with proper education on dietary supplements exhibit a different but responsible pattern of use from those without the education. This is significant, as misuse of dietary supplements has been linked to liver and kidney injuries.

“These findings suggest that college education on dietary supplements, during a stage when young adults establish life-long habits, may potentially reduce risk of abuse,” says Lina Begdache, PhD, RDN, CDN, CNS-S, an assistant professor of health and wellness studies at Binghamton and first author on the study.

“Are these supplements really doing the work?” she questions. “There’s no FDA oversight. Anything could be in these supplements, things that could potentially be harmful.”

The researchers currently are looking at over-the-counter weight loss pill use among college students. The interest is that these supplements are high in caffeine, which may increase stress in young adults.

— Source: Binghamton University, State University of New York